Study tips to stick to this fall

Fall semester has begun, and just weeks (maybe even days) into new classes, we are already overwhelmed. While juggling classes, clubs, internships, volunteer work, spending time with friends, calling home to the family and having time to relax, we’re in over our heads from the get-go.

The whirlwind that is college envelops us with deadlines and exams, info sessions and meetings as soon as we get to campus and it can be a bit much.

We love what we study and the activities we are engaged in, but that passion can become muddled by too much stress. When there are labs to do, papers to write and exams to study for, skimming over readings we might otherwise love to dissect and analyze becomes the much easier route.

Feeling overwhelmed is inevitable, but it is also manageable; there are ways to beat the impending (or present) anxieties accompanying this Fall semester.

Make lists

For many of us, there is so much going on, so many different tasks we are required to do, that it can be daunting to even begin. Stress descends out of the confusion and disorder of assignments and activities periodically popping into our minds as they are remembered throughout the day .

To resolve this disorganization of the mind, the answer is simple: make a list.

Start with each of your classes. List upcoming assignments, quizzes, papers and exams, then move on to your other responsibilities– teams, clubs, internships and jobs. By the end, you will have a comprehensive list of everything you need to do.

It may surprise you just how much the simple act of writing your to-do’s down will calm your mind. No longer will you be startled out of your reading for a history class when you suddenly remember that your statistics class problem set is due tomorrow. You will be able to prioritize each task and focus on the one at hand.

By devoting 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning of each week to create a To-Do list, your work will seem more manageable. Plus, as you move through the week, you will be able to monitor your progress by crossing things off, making the list smaller and smaller.

Create a calendar

Taking your lists one step further, it can be helpful to organize the tasks you need to complete onto a calendar. This is especially important for time management. To all the procrastinators out there, here is your solution.

Asses the dates and deadlines from your to-do list, and decide how long each task will reasonably take to complete. Remember to keep in mind how much time you want to devote to homework and studying each night. If, for instance, you play soccer Thursday nights or have class for eight hours on Wednesdays, those might not be the best days to plan to get most of your work done.

For each day of the week list the tasks you need to get done. For longer or more important assignments like midterm papers, give yourself multiple days to complete them and make sure to put them on your schedule with plenty of time before their due dates.

Now, you will have shorter, more manageable to-do lists for each day of the week instead of one long, daunting list for the week.

Use your time effectively

This is perhaps the most difficult piece of advice to stick to.

It is something we all struggle with, because let’s be honest, it’s hard not to let ourselves drift away from homework and onto Snapchat or Instagram or literally anything else around us.

Oftentimes it’s not even on purpose. You open your textbook to begin a reading and halfway down the second page your phone buzzes. You attempt to keep going, finish your page or your paragraph at least, but the curiosity is killing you. After responding to the message, you click onto other apps out of habit and suddenly 20 minutes have gone by and you’re still just a page and a half into your reading.

It’s important not to try and completely suppress your instincts to answer your phone, talk to a friend passing by, or take a coffee break. Then we’d be left unfocused, trying to read while wondering who the text is from or struggling to calculate equations while dreaming of an iced latte. And that is not productive.

Instead, try finding a study space conducive to your prolonged concentration. Libraries are usually great places because they’re quiet, not to mention the masses of other students there working. Turn your phone on silent and leave it in your backpack to prevent distractions and you’ll be more able to focus on your work for long periods of time.

Rather than studying wherever is convenient, try and utilize good study spaces as often as you can. When you have a break between classes, head to the library, or take advantage of time in your dorm or apartment when your roommates aren’t home to converse with.

Allow yourself to take breaks for coffee, friends and phone-checking, but regulate that time. A 10 minute break will give your mind a chance to relax, but won’t totally remove you from your work, leading to an easier transition back to it from the break.

Don’t forget to budget out some “me” time

Often overlooked, self-care is vital to our well-being and thus, our ability to work efficiently. But as students, we prioritize everything above our own well-being, giving up sleep to finish assignments and meals to attend classes. And with everything going on in our lives, there are hardly ever moments for us to be alone and just relax.

It’s okay to take breaks when you are exhausted or over-worked. After a long day of classes, don’t go straight to work on homework, give yourself a little time to unwind and recharge. And at the end of the night, when your eyelids are heavy and the pages in front of you are becoming blurry, just go to sleep.

It’s impossible to work effectively when we are tired and burnt out, so take a little time just for you. Eat a meal without studying between every bite, sit outside between classes and listen to some music. When it is time to go back to studying, your mind will be rested and ready to take on the next task.

Emily Plummer writes for Uloop, a leading college news and college classifieds resource for student housing, jobs and internships, roommates and sublets, tutors and scholarships, and local services for college students.

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